In the English language, text typically is presented as a series of sentences grouped into paragraphs, as shown in FIG. 1. The text may flow from left to right across the width of a page (or column) and then vertically down the page (or column).
Researchers have recognized that the typical format for presenting text (i.e., the paragraph format) has several disadvantages and may violate the natural tendencies of the human eye. See Andrews, R. B., Reading Power Unlimited, Texas Outlook, 1949, 33, 20-21, the entire content of which are incorporated herein by reference. Particularly, the paragraph format does not fully take advantage of a reader's ability to read and comprehend text. The paragraph format focuses on the horizontal span of the human eye and ignores the human eye's ability to scan in the vertical direction.
Accordingly, Andrews (1949) presented the concept of square span, wherein text is broken down and arranged into a series of small units of words. Each unit typically includes 2 lines of words, with each line having 2 to 3 words. Thus, the reader may comprehend each unit as a whole, rather than a sum of its parts.
Andrews (1949) theorized that the square span arrangement of text allows for quicker and more efficient reading. Each unit of square span includes a vertical component (i.e., the lines are arranged vertically) and a horizontal component (i.e., the words in a line extend horizontally). Thus, the square span arrangement takes advantage of the relationship between the horizontal span and the vertical span of the human eye.
Various other techniques have been employed to facilitate faster and more efficient reading. U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,450 to Morris, the entire content of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a textual display wherein the text is presented as a plurality of short lines printed across a scan bar, wherein selected words are bolded or printed in a different color. U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,533 to Walker, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses the concept of enhancing text by horizontally displacing consecutive lines of text.
Despite the attempts of the prior art, there remains a need for a system and method for displaying text in a manner conducive to comfortable and efficient reading.